During Gateway School Board’s regular session Feb. 23, members heard from Gabriela Rossetti and high school English teacher Eve Dudek. Rossetti won third place for her essay on civil rights activist Ella Baker. She was presented with a trophy during the eighth annual Black History Month Summit at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Oakland.
Director Susan Frazier Delaney also attended the summit.
“There were at least 17 schools competing,” Delaney said. “This was the first year that Gateway won. I was glad to be among those who presented her with the trophy. It was well deserved.”
The board also heard from school counselor Betty Howard, speech therapist Cari Kunich and students Kietal Barnaba, Gwendolyn King and Anisa Campbell, who gave an overview of Gateway Middle School’s Girls Mentor Program.
The mentor program is in its third year.
“We wanted to start a mentorship program for girls to just get them together, talking about things,” Kunich said. “It kind of led to a career path thing and exposing them to different opportunities.”
Their goal is to empower students to make good academic achievements, develop healthy peer relationships, build self-esteem, participate in job shadowing and more.
“We want to build their organization skills, leadership skills and communication skills,” Howard said.
Every year, the faculty selects one college to tour. This year, the group took a field trip to Penn State University’s main campus. They were given a tour by head coach Terry Smith, who is a Gateway graduate and Penn State alum.
The mentor program tries to focus on professions that are historically filled by men. The students were able to meet with the trainer, nutritionist, media specialist and head coach’s administrative assistant — all women.
The Girls Mentor Program participates in community service events, which has raised a lot of money for programming. Howard praised the students, saying, “If you give them a task and you put it on them, they can take care of business.”
The group raised $1,145 for Special Olympics from the Polar Plunge fundraiser. Districtwide, more than $2,500 was raised.
Howard and Kunich thanked Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey for being instrumental in helping with transportation for field trips and the principals for their flexibility with allowing the outings and other activities.
Superintendent Guy Rossi thanked Kunich and Howard for their efforts.
“This is grassroots. They are passionate about this, and we are certainly appreciative of it. They are the ones who develop this.”
Conferences approved
The board voted unanimously, 9-0, to approve the following four conferences:
• PDE Summit at Hershey Lodge: March 30 to April 1, at a cost of $1,443.82;
• ALICE Active Shooter Response Training at Chartiers Valley High School: April 7 and 8, $815.70
• 2026 PSADA Conference at Hershey Lodge: March 18 to March. $970.16
• PAsmart grant for school district visit to an Ohio school: April 15-16, approximate cost is $500. This is partially funded through a PAsmart grant.
Despite voting yes, Director Cheryl Boise requested more clarity moving forward on what conferences are for and how they benefit the district. Director Donna Burns asked whether the cost of the conferences already are built into the budget. Business Manager Mike Zourelias said they were.
New high school course
The board voted unanimously to approve a new high school course — SWAMP: Solutions, Workshop, Analysis, Making and Pitch. Students will create and develop their own product idea using Inventionland Education Innovation materials and courseware. Students will gain knowledge and experience in areas that can help with future career choices, such as business, communications, marketing, computer software, graphic design and video production.
In other news
High School Curriculum Night will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the school. Students in eighth through 11th grade, along with their families, will have the chance to meet with counselors and faculty. They will learn about new courses, graduation requirements, honors classes and their scheduling timeline and process.
Also on Feb. 26, Gateway Middle School and Monroeville Public Library will host its annual Elementary Literacy event with an evening full of games, books and activities from 6 to 7 p.m.
Upcoming meetings
The following meetings will be held at the administration building and are open to the public:
• Buildings and Grounds Committee: 6 p.m. March 5
• Finance Committee: 5 p.m. March 19
